Some merchant areas, e.g. video games and books, are at distinct disadvantage competitively in the marketplace when it comes to pre-selling new releases. Current pre-sale methods using pre-loaded and/or pre-specified dollar-amount coupons, normally stored in a drawer or under lock-and-key at an electronics counter or other location in a retail store, result in shortage and accounting reconciliation issues. Also, because such coupons are pre-loaded and kept behind display glass or elsewhere, merchandising options are limited.
Stored-value cards and other financial-transaction cards come in many forms. A gift card, for example, is a type of stored-value card that includes pre-loaded or selectably loaded monetary value. In one example, a customer buys a gift card having a specified value for presentation as a gift to another person. In another example, a customer is offered a gift card as an incentive to make a purchase. A gift card, like other stored-value cards, can be “recharged” or “reloaded” at the direction of the bearer. The balance associated with the card declines as the card is used, encouraging repeat visits to the retailer or other provider issuing the card. Additionally, the card generally remains in the user's purse or wallet, serving as an advertisement or reminder to revisit the associated retailer. Gift cards provide a number of advantages, to both the customer and the retailer.